


The Little Guy

by Cre_no



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Guilt, One Shot, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Self-Doubt, i think, it's not as sad as it sounds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-07-05 06:44:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15858342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cre_no/pseuds/Cre_no
Summary: Peter reflects on what it means to fight for the little guy. Who does he fight against and what are the consequences?





	The Little Guy

On that fateful night that Tony entangled their lives forever by showing up at Peter’s apartment he had asked why it was that Peter dressed up and caught bad guys. Peter had told him about the responsibility he felt, the older man summing it up nicely by stating that Peter was looking out for the “little guy”. 

But what no one seems to appreciate is that Peter is also fighting against the little guy.

Sometimes Peter could tell that Tony and the other remaining avengers thought of what he did as easy. The amused yet fond looks they gave him when he tried to pitch his strengths to them through animated retellings of his patrols confirmed that, but Peter knew it wasn’t easy.

The big, official Avengers fought evil. They stopped planet destroyers from tearing apart the universe. There was no questioning whether or not to kill the enemy, no looking back with regret over defeating the bad guy.

Things weren’t that simple for Peter.

Spider-man takes down people. Not evil, not good, just desperate human beings looking the wrong way for solutions. Not every bank robber is just looking for money, some are college grads looking to pay the bills. Not every car thief is looking for spare parts to sell, some are just frantic to get to Pennsylvania before before tomorrow so they don’t lose visiting rights to their children. Not every pick pocket is a con artist looking for a good laugh, most are kids on the street that need to eat.

And it’s Peter’s job to stop them

It’s Spider-man’s job to stop desperate people from taking from other desperate people. When you look out for the little guy, you start to see how big the picture is. What someone does isn’t so cut and dry as an alien invasion. Stopping the man down the street from robbing a bank could mean a child somewhere goes to sleep another night without food in their stomach, and it’s something Peter has to think about every day.

There are nights when it becomes too much. Peter will lie awake at night listening to the sounds of the city below his second story apartment and wonder who ended up hurt at the end of the day because Spider-man had to uphold the law. Who’s looking out their window right now waiting for the last guy Peter put behind bars to come home?

The Vulture made the guilt even heavier. 

Peter knew Toomes long before he know the Vulture. He didn’t know him directly, no, but he knew him through Liz. He knew Adrien from the stories Liz would tell about their weekend outings. He knew that he was a great loving father, a hard worker, a dedicated husband. Peter knew that under any other circumstances, Adrian Toomes would have been a model father. The kind of guy who would come to their decathlon meets with hand written signs and an offer for group pizza after the event.

But Spider-man took him down. Had to take him down.

Because at the end of the day he made the wrong decision, and he had to pay the price.

Even if his family had to pay it with him

Even if Peter himself had to pay it with him.

And pay he did. With sleepless nights and a never ending stream of doubt in the back of his head asking if this was the right thing to do.

On nights like those he tried to think of Ben. His loyal and courageous uncle Ben whos life was snatched away because of another man’s desperation. Peter thinks of his uncle’s voice repeating that with great power, comes great responsibility, and Peter reminds himself that with great responsibility comes great pains. 

At the end of the day he knows that this has to be done. He needs to stop as much suffering as he can the only way he knows how because he can, even if it means a little guilt.

So Peter will keep being Spider-man as long as he’s able. He’ll defend the little guy from themselves because Queens needs him to. And when the doubt becomes too loud he’ll look back at his own group of little guys and remember that they need him too.

**Author's Note:**

> This honestly isn't my favorite but I needed to get it out of my system.


End file.
